‘Irma Vep’s campy nuttiness appealing despite opening-night slipups

[Shana A]

'Irma Vep's campy nuttiness appealing despite opening-night slipups

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/entertainment/theatre_arts/article/IRMA21_20090920-181005/294293/

SUSAN HAUBENSTOCK SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Published: September 21, 2009

Well-timed for Halloween merrymaking, Swift Creek Mill opens its season with "The Mystery of Irma Vep," Charles Ludlam's 1984 sendup of the Hollywood horror genre. It's a mashup of werewolf, mummy and vampire films, with a little "Rebecca" and "Jane Eyre" mixed in, seasoned with Shakespeare and Poe.

Ludlam, famous for his cross-dressing roles, engineered the comedy for two actors, each of whom plays four roles, some male, some female. To make this work, you have to have a stalwart and speedy backstage crew to facilitate many quick changes of costume, along with sound effects and sight gags.